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Zucchini Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Lemon Pasta Carbonara…classic creamy Italian carbonara sauce, updated with crisp chicken zucchini meatballs and tossed with caramelized lemon and fresh basil. Finish the pasta off with fried caper breadcrumbs for a delicious crunch. Perfect easy summer dinner, any night of the week. Everyone in the house will enjoy this dish!
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If I had to choose the recipe for you to all be making this week, tonight even, it would be these meatballs. The crazy thing…and I’ve said this before, but for someone who has really avoided making meatballs in the past, I sure have taken a liking to them.
So far I’ve shared butter chicken meatballs, coconut curry chicken meatballs, sticky sesame ginger meatballs, and the very delicious and popular, Greek meatballs. Yep, a lot of meatballs, but you know something? They’re delicious, easy, and always well-loved.
Which brings me to today’s meatballs.
Side note, let’s start keeping track of how many times I say the word meatball throughout this post.
This is my end of summer meatball pasta. In keeping with the unplanned theme of the week, this is the perfect late summer meets early fall dinner. AND it’s a fun, delicious way to sneak zucchini into everyone’s meal.
Start with the meatballs.
They’re a simple mix of ground chicken (or ground turkey), shredded zucchini, and parmesan. Think of the flavors you love in a really good chicken parmesan, but in the form of a cute little meatball, and with the addition of zucchini. The zucchini helps to keep the meatballs moist while baking.
Mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Once the meatballs are formed, arrange them on a baking sheet with lemon slices. Bake until they just begin to crisp. Now add breadcrumbs and capers to the pan. Return everything to the oven and cook until the meatballs are cooked throughout and the breadcrumbs golden.
Keep the crumbs and capers together, these are the crunchy fried caper breadcrumbs I mentioned above.
Next chop the lemon slices and toss with lots and lots of fresh basil. Now toss them with the pasta carbonara.
There are a few moving steps to this, so to recap you have your meatballs, your breadcrumb topping, and the lemony basil mix to toss with the pasta. It’s all made on one sheet pan to simplify the process and keep the dishes down too.
Tip? Make your own fresh breadcrumbs with a loaf of day-old bread. Simply pulse the torn pieces of bread in a food processor, or simply tear the bread into smaller pieces. It’s so easy to do and really adds a lot of flavor to any recipe calling for bread crumbs.
Meanwhile, work on the pasta carbonara.
While the meatballs are cooking, start the pasta.
You’ll need eggs, parmesan cheese, garlic, basil, and either spaghetti or bucatini pasta. The key to a good carbonara is to serve it right after tossing. So having everything prepped and ready to go before cooking is key.
Whisk the eggs with parmesan, garlic, and fresh basil. Boil the pasta and as soon as the pasta has finished cooking, immediately toss it with the eggs. This step is really important…but don’t worry it’s also really easy. Just be sure to toss, toss, toss for a good minute until the sauce thickens. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs and produces the silkiest, smoothest, and creamiest pasta sauce. It’s melt in your mouth good.
At this point, toss in the lemon basil mix to add a touch more flavor.
By the time the meatballs are finished cooking, the pasta should ideally be ready too. So serve everything up immediately.
Twirl the pasta onto your plates, add those parmesan meatballs, and top with the crispy, crunchy golden fried caper breadcrumbs.
And that’s it. Not too tricky, right?
But so very delicious! And the biggest bonus? Your kids will love this too. Perfect back to school dinner…or you know…back to homeschooling dinner.
Looking for other weeknight pasta? Here are a few ideas:
Roasted Red Pepper Alla Vodka Pasta with Cheesy Oregano Breadcrumbs
Browned Butter Scallops and Burst Tomato Basil Pasta
Lastly, if you make these zucchini parmesan chicken meatballs with lemon pasta carbonara, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Zucchini Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Lemon Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 zucchini, grated
- 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 lemon, sliced and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoon drained capers
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
Lemon Pasta Carbonaro
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 3/4 pound spaghetti or bucatini pasta
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.2. Add the chicken, grated zucchini, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, the parmesan, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix to combine. Coat your hands with olive oil and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (this will make 20-22 meatballs). Place on the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the lemon slices around the meatballs. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. 3. Remove from oven, slide the meatballs to one side of the pan, add the remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs, and the capers. Toss the crumbs and capers with 2 tablespoon olive oil and the red pepper flakes. Return to the oven and cook another 5 minutes, watching closely, until the meatballs are cooked through and the crumbs golden. 4. Remove the breadcrumbs from the pan. Season with salt. Remove the lemon from the pan. Finely chop the lemon slices and mix with 1/2 cup fresh basil, reserving the mix for tossing with the pasta. 5. Meanwhile, make the carbonara. Whisk together the eggs, parmesan, garlic, and basil, in a large serving bowl.6. Boil the pasta until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup pasta water, then drain. Immediately add the hot pasta to the egg/cheese mixture, tossing quickly (to ensure the eggs do not scramble) until the eggs thicken and create a sauce. Thin the sauce with the reserved pasta water, until it reaches your desired consistency. Add the butter and about a 1/4 of the reserved lemon basil mix, gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.7. Divide the pasta between plates. Top with meatballs, breadcrumbs, and additional lemon/basil, to taste. Twirl the pasta up…EAT and ENJOY.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This is so refreshing! What a perfect, quick meal! I am partial to carbonara and this didn’t disappoint. Regretting not having fresh basil and can’t wait to make again with it. If you want to pack more punch, sprinkle in more red pepper flakes. Thanks for a wonderful recipe- I especially appreciate your videos on Instagram and the reels that break down the steps and provide visuals.
Hey Simone,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
Could I use ground turkey instead?
Hey Diane,
Yes, ground turkey will also work well here! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Should I chop the lemon with the skin on?
Hey Ingrid,
Yes, that is correct. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
My oven is on the fritz, do you think it would work to make the meatballs in a large skillet?
Hey Maria,
Yes, you could absolutely make the meatballs on the stove top! I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Had frozen chicken meatballs so cut up zucchini and red pepper and roasted with the meatballs. All came together nicely.
Hey Edward,
Happy Friday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
Could you please specify how many cups of grated zucchini you used? The zucchini in my garden come in all sizes! Also the basil; is that a packed half cup? Looking forward to trying these meatballs. Thanks.
Hey Susan,
I would use about 1/3 cup of zucchini here and the basil is just lightly packed. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
My daughter just made this tonight
So good. It was quick, easy and do delicious. She loves your recipes
Most definitely making this again
Hey Sandy,
Happy Friday! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xxTieghan
This was sooo filling. I loved everything about it. I honestly cook one or two of your recipes a week. I owe you all of the praise I receive from my friends and family! You’ve seriously helped me better my cooking, in turn, my relationships. My cooking has brought us all closer together, which wouldn’t have been possible without you.
Hey Nancy,
Wonderful! That’s so great to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great Friday:) xTieghan
This was amazing! So many different flavors and textures.
Hey Bryn,
Fantastic! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
My husband and I LOVED this recipe. For some reason though, my meatballs just didn’t want to get all nice and golden in the oven, so I just pan fried them for a few minutes to get that little crispy exterior that makes them so delicious. They were perfectly cooked after that. I just think something is wrong with my oven temperature… This recipe is definitely going into our “make again” list!
Hey Jessica,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxTieghan
I’ve only recently found your website. This is probably the 5th recipe I’ve made. Honestly….. every single one has been delicious and this was off the charts! So amazing. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent. Can’t wait to get keep working through the archives
Hey Katrina,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Would love to try this recipe!! Quick question, do I squeeze out the extra moisture in the zucchini before adding it to the ground chicken?
Hey Misha,
For this recipe, you do not need it, it will help the meatballs from drying out. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Soooooooooop yummy! I will definitely keep this recipe on high rotation! The crispy caper bread rums are key.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I am thrilled that you liked it! I hope you have a great week:) xTieghan
This recipe was so delicious. My whole family loved it!! Its a perfect pasta that is not too heavy 🙂
Hey Brigid,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Hello! I bought all of the ingredients to make this tomorrow. I’m confused on the sauce – do the eggs ever cook? The way I read it it looks like raw egg whisked as the sauce since you don’t heat it up. Any clarification would be great. Thanks!
Hey Chelsea,
So the hot noodles cook the eggs, thats pretty much what a carbonara is! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Great taste! Easy to follow. I will make again!
Amazing! Thank you so much Zoe! xTieghan
I cooked along with your IG video for this recipe and it was very helpful! The meatballs were so moist, I used yellow zucchini to try to disguise for my daughter. This is my first carbonara to thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you so much Thy! I am really glad this turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan